From Eden
by TheLorax25
Summary: Sesshomaru just wants the peace of his ward's presence. Unfortunately, that means enduring his brother's existence, the miko's meddling, the old hag's obvious dislike, and the presence of a human he was sure missed his calling as the town fool. But, there was nothing he wouldn't do for the sake of her smile.


**A.N: A one shot that kind of developed a life of it's own. Inspired by the wonderful music of Hozier.**

* * *

From Eden

 **…}{…**

 _Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago_  
 _Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on its sword_  
 _Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know_  
 _I slithered here from Eden just to sit outside your door_

 **Hozier – From Eden**

 **…}{…**

"You know," the branch above him rustled and Sesshomaru was sure that were he a lesser demon, he would've groaned. "Kagome says that in her world, when you follow behind someone else like this, it's called _stalking_."

Not for the first time, Sesshomaru wondered why he continually spared the life of his father's bastard child. Surely he wasn't getting sentimental. "I am not _stalking_ , whelp."

The leaves on the branch above him rustled again followed by the soft swish of cloth. Dear Kami, the hanyou wasn't getting comfortable up there, was he?

"Why don't ya just go talk to her. I'm sure you're tired of skirting the shadows of a human village."

Sesshomaru arched a brow and tilted his head up.

Clearly the hanyou had indeed decided to get comfortable and was now lazily reclining on the thick branch above his, one leg dangling in the wind like some classless squirrel.

He narrowed his eyes at the pup's audacity, not only did the brat dare to give him, Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, advice; but he also decided to _literally_ seat himself above one such as he.

He made a mental note to show the half breed a place more befitting of his station later.

"Are you giving me an order, little brother?"

Inuyasha snorted, "It was a suggestion, you stuck up ass."

Sesshomaru felt his hand twitch, "Is there any particular reason you are here, half-breed? Or is your desire for eternal respite from the nagging of your Miko so great?"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed, "at least I've got a mate…"

No, Sesshomaru decided, it definitely wasn't sentimentality.

Perhaps it was some sort of misplaced respect for his father's wishes that stopped him from impaling the runt every time he opened his mouth.….

"I mean, you're what? Seven hundred by now?" Inuyasha continued, "Don't ya think you're a bit old for her?"

His hand fell to the hilt of Bakusaiga.

Surely his father would have ended the mutt's life were he here to actually meet the odious little cretin…so, as the current family head, shouldn't the duty now rightfully fall to his shoulders?

Sesshomaru glanced at Inuyasha and even his years of trained stoicism couldn't stop the sneer of disgust that pulled at his lips. The hanyou was relaxing against the trunk of the tree, eyes closed, contentedly picking his teeth with his claws.

Yes, he decided, as Lord of the West, it was definitely his duty to remove this blight from the family tree.

"Besides, the headman's son's been sniffing behind her for weeks now." There was the awful _tick_ of his claw pulling something from between his teeth. Sesshomaru fought the growl that rose in his throat. "Kagome says he plans on " _poppin' the question_ " today." Inuyasha opened one eye and looked at his brother. "Apparently that's what people in Kagome's time call proposing."

"She will say no." Even to his ears, what was meant to be a steadfast, unwavering statement of sureness sounded more like a fickle, wavering question laden with unsureness. Inuyasha' s ears swiveled.

"Dunno." The hanyou shrugged. "She _is_ old -by human standards- and he _is_ the headman's son. What more is there for her?"

The silence felt heavy, he knew Inuyasha was weighing his next words. A rare, and perhaps impossible, feat.

"I tire of your uncertainty, half breed. Speak."

Inuyasha snorted. "Kami, you're a hopeless asshole." He paused and took a breath. When he spoke again, the tone was somber. "Look, she's a human… turn your back too long and she's gone." He paused, "I don't understand it, and I don't want to try, but the girl's dumb enough to love you. Her time is too short to spend waiting for you to pull your head out of your- OI! Where are you goin'?! I wasn't done yet!"

Sesshomaru didn't spare him a glance as he landed gracefully on the path to the village. "Listening to you recite your Miko's words bores me." He said. "I do however find her ability to train mongrels so well almost impressive."

The string of expletives that fell from the branches of the tree were ignored as he continued down the path towards the river, where he had sighted his query before the unwanted interruption of Inuyasha.

The villagers, though never openly hostile, gave the Daiyoukai wide berth as he strode down the path. This treatment suited him well.

Unlike the human loving cur whose branch on his family tree still – inexplicably- remained intact, he felt no sense of loyalty to these people. They looked after Rin, and while that did not -and would _never-_ endear them to him, it did ensure that he would not be razing the village to the ground anytime soon.

If he could have avoided them all together, he undoubtedly would have. The scent of their weakness and _humanity_ was an affront to his delicate senses.

Luckily, the times spent among their odor were few and far between.

His musing and his steps stopped at the river.

The soft hum of her voice and tickle of her familiar scent met him before he saw her. The corner of his lip tilted up almost imperceptibly.

The one exception to all of his rules.

She sat on the bank of the river, her back to him.

Since childhood, she had steadfastly refused more than the barest of trims to her hair, now the dark strands curled around her seated form like black snakes in the grass.

A basket filled with herbs lay forgotten some feet away; he was willing to bet that the old priestess had sent her to fetch the plants hours ago.

"Rin."

Her soft gasp floated to his ears followed by a splash as she quickly removed her feet from the river.

She spun to greet him, the joyous cry of "Sesshomaru-sama!" already spilling from her sun chapped lips.

She was up in an instant and in less than a heartbeat her body collided with his, her arms wrapped securely around his waist, her entire form reaching no higher than his shoulder.

He had grown accustomed to her emphatic displays of affection over the years, but had never seen the appeal in learning how to reciprocate the gestures. On the rare occasion that he did not leave his arms at his side as she…"hugged" him, he found he had been able to do little more than pat her awkwardly on the back or head until she released.

She pushed herself back after a few moments and smiled brightly, her brown eyes crinkling at the edges. He was sure that he could count all of her teeth had he been so inclined.

"I did not expect a visit, Milord!" She clapped her hands together in front of her chest and bounced on the balls of her bare feet.

"I was nearby." He said, his voice cool. "Are you well?" He gave her a cursory glance and frowned at the small patches of dirt on the sleeves of her kimono. He fought a sigh; woman though she may now be, she would always remain a wild child at heart.

"Oh yes, my Lord! I have been quite well!" Her smile grew even wider, and not for the first time he wondered how she managed to do that without somehow injuring herself. Certainly there was a muscle one could pull from smiling so often…

"I was just watching the sunset at the river," she chirped, "the reflection it casts across the water is so beautiful. Would you care to join me?" She didn't wait for his response, instead she slipped her hand into his and tugged him towards the river.

"Rin," he dug his heels into the earth to stop her. She was surprisingly strong for such a small human female, or perhaps it had something to do with the inexplicable jelly limbed feeling he recently experienced when exposed to her gaze…voice...touch…smile…scent...

He made a note to check in with the castle physician upon his return to the West. These ailments definitely had to be a sign of some foreign illness. Most likely contracted from continued exposure to Inuyasha. Who knew what that half-breed's hygiene regimen was like… if he even had one at all…

She turned her inexplicably large smile back to him and tilted her head, she hummed her reply.

"The basket." He said.

Her eyes clouded with confusion before the realization hit her. Her small mouth formed an "o" and she dropped his hand.

"Oh, not again!" She groaned and turned to the river side where the basket lay. She picked up the time worn piece of woven bamboo and scooped up a few herbs that had fallen out. "Well, Kaede is definitely going to have an earful for me tonight." She ran her hand through her bangs and giggled to herself.

The soft tinkling sound of her amusement washed over him and alighted a feeling of contentment that only she had ever been able to illicit. For a brief moment he closed his eyes and allowed himself to simply enjoy the guilty pleasure of her presence.

"I guess I will just have to wait for tomorrow's sunset." She sighed and cast a longing glance to the burnt orange horizon. "Will you be joining me then, Lord Sesshomaru?" She turned back to him, face splitting smile already in place.

He grunted; he had learned long ago that the answers to most of her questions were already decided with or without his response.

Her had slipped back into his and she began tugging him again, this time towards Kaede's hut.

He sighed. "Rin," her head cocked to the side, "your shoes."

Her brown eyes dropped to her bare feet, and again, her hand left his. "Oh, darn it!" The corner of his lips tilted up.

The walk to Kaede's hut was far from quiet; the minutes were filled with her chatter about the day to day minutia of human life in the village ("The farmers expect a bountiful harvest this year,"), updates on his brother and mate ("Kagome's due any day now! Can you believe this is her second child? Inuyasha says she's been extra moody with this one.") and her whatever else she could think of ("Oh I must show you the beautiful flower I found yesterday! Purple, yellow _and_ pink! It's absolutely wonderful!").

He nodded when necessary, asked few questions and offered fewer responses. Her smile glowed brightly, and the once familiar feeling of contentment that spread with each stroke of her thumb across the back of his hand settled -stubbornly- in his chest.

Too soon, they reached the old miko's hut.

She dropped his hand and bit her lip. "Will you come in?"

His nose crinkled slightly and she laughed. "Okay, I'll be right back."

She paused for a moment and recaptured her lip with her teeth. Her brow creased in thought for an instant before she threw her arms around him in a quick hug. "Don't disappear on me, milord." Her brown eyes met his and he was surprised by the uncharacteristic seriousness they held.

"Hn."

She nodded, released him, and disappeared into the hut.

The age battered voice of Kaede greeted her arrival, laden with chastisements on her tardiness. Sesshomaru kept an ear on the words, but paid them little mind.

The old miko had been good to Rin all these years, but she was still far from his favorite human.

In their few encounters she had always sought to give him advice, as if one such as he needed council from a priestess with a foot long since in the grave. He nearly scoffed at the thought.

She may seem age wizened to these pathetic mortals, but to him -someone who strode through centuries with ease- she was as audacious as a hatchling trying to teach a chicken to cluck.

"Child, what are ye doing?" The old woman's words were followed by the ruffling of fabric and clinking of dishes.

Rin grunted. "Packing a lunch."

There was the sound of hurried footsteps and the crackle of a fire. "'Tis nearly sun down, child; this is no time for a meal outdoors."

"Don't worry, Lady Kaede." The smile could be heard in the young woman's voice. "Lord Sesshomaru is here, he will watch over me."

The old woman said nothing for a long moment, and even from outside Sesshomaru knew her silence was accompanied by a frown. The shuffling sounds of Rin readying her basket continued.

"The young Lord Taro was here for ye earlier."

Rin's movement stilled and he heard her pull in a breath.

His ears twitched.

"Oh?" Her voice was low...was that _nervousness_ he heard? "Did he say why?"

The old woman paused, there were sounds of the fire being prodded to agitation. He had no doubt she was doing this for his benefit. The hag.

After a few -shamefully- tense beats of his heart she replied. "He wished to speak to ye, I know little else beyond that."

Sesshomaru hadn't realized he was holding a breath until he released it, neither did he realize that he had been leaning towards the entrance to the hut until he righted himself.

He scowled. He was almost as bad as that mongrel, Inuyasha.

Surely there was something in the air of this village that caused perfectly sensible demons to lose their minds.

"Oh," he heard Rin reply, he had a hard time placing the emotion behind the word. "Well, I will be out for a while…" She paused and he could hear the pouring of water. "Should he stop by again, can you please let him know I will be unavailable until tomorrow?"

The words "not a messenger" were the only part of the old miko's unintelligible grumbles Sesshomaru could make out from his perfectly respectable, _not_ eavesdropping distance outside.

Rin bid the woman farewell and he moved a few feet from the entrance of the hut.

"Ok!" Her brown eye locked with his as she emerged, in her hands was a newer, larger basket. "Let's be off now, shall we?" She cast a broad smile his way and, without waiting for a response, began down the path to the forest. He followed.

As he eyed her bobbing head of dark hair ahead of him, he wondered if this was what Inuyasha dealt with from his Miko.

At least Rin would never think to yank him around by the ear as he had seen that awful woman do to his brother.

Behind her, he was allowed a break from her chatter, but the silence only allowed him more time with his thoughts.

She had aged.

That much was obvious, it _had_ been ten years since they first met after all, and she _was_ human.

Still, it was a strange thing for him to be aware of. For centuries he had never concerned himself with thoughts on the rapidity of human aging. To him, their fleeting lives were of no more consequence than that of a fly's… although, he did believe flies served more of a purpose.

But this girl -woman- was different.

Her life mattered. It had since they met.

Jaken had always believed that the special treatment she received from him was an effect of her tenacity, that she had simply wormed her way into his heart over the years.

But he had long since accepted the real truth on the matter. On that day, all those years ago, when she sent him that first mammoth smile, she had effectively stuck a flag in his frigid heart and claimed the organ as her own, from that moment, until the end of time.

Bruised, battered and beaten though she had been back then, she never lost that sense of innocence and kindness…though, he would admit, she had developed a rather impressive streak of resilience along the way.

As she aged, the scope of her compassion grew, it completely belied the horrors of her past. He developed a need to protect that innocence within her, and because of that he had to leave her behind. It was the only choice.

The decision had been harder than he dared to admit at the time, but despite his selfish desires to keep her by his side, he knew leaving her with her kind was the right thing to do for her.

But now, time had brought forth a new -unforeseen and thoroughly unwanted- decision for him, and he knew his selfishness was winning out over the _very_ few chivalrous intentions he had.

She was a woman now.

The changes time had wrought were obvious, her face had become slender and her cheekbones more defined, but he would admit that she had not grown into a "magnificent beauty", per se. The large doe eyes and bow lips made her the sort of pretty that erred more towards the lines of "cute."

But what made her appealing was not her looks, it was something deeper and rarer than that. It was the almost palpable joy and warmth she exuded with every action.

She was still as kind as she had been as a child, but the youthful naivety that often got her into trouble in the past, had left. She had grown into the kind of woman that others came to for advice and comfort. There was a sort of glow about her that let everyone know her heart was pure, and it drew people –and him- to her like moths to a flame.

The only thing he found more impressive was her intelligence.

Since they met, her desire to learn had been present, but it came to a head not long after he left her at the village. The old miko had wasted no time in teaching her to differentiate herbs and how to read and write simple things, so naturally, during one of his visits she had been overjoyed to show him her new skills.

When she became stumped by a new word on a scroll he helped her through the sounds. Her amazement at his wisdom only increased as he continued to aid her as she stumbled through the complex kanji of the prayer scroll.

After that she vowed to master the art of reading as well as he had. So, like any encouraging guardian, he sent tutors.

And she made good on her word.

Each time he visited she would ask if there were any other areas of learning that he found interest in and then implored him to find her more tutors so that she would be able to discuss those topics with him.

She threw herself into her lessons, learning poetry, calligraphy, art, etiquette and dance, as well as Confucianism, military science, arithmetic and strategy. He had even sent her an instructor to teach basic defense and swordsmanship.

He refused to curtail her learning because of neither her gender nor her species. If she wished to learn, he made sure she did.

Now at 18 she was more learned than the child of a Daimyo. Her knowledge and knack for witty rebukes had proven her an adept conversationalist, but had not made her pretentious; though she had confessed that beyond him, it was only with Kagome and the lecherous monk that she could have an unrestricted conversation.

As her intelligence flourished, so, he noticed, did her grace as a lady.

Once her lessons began, he made sure to include ones on demon culture and the ways of demon court. In part it had been to satiate his curiosity –how well would the little Ningen take to the ways of his world- but it had also been his way of letting her know that she always had a place with him.

As she aged, her interest in the ways of noble demons grew, and after much prodding he allowed her a visit to his castle.

She had been 14 at the time of her first visit and fearing the worst, he had sent Jaken to be her escort. The sight that greeted him, however, both surprised and pleased him beyond measure.

In place of the wild, normally barefoot, child he knew, was a young lady standing tall and proud in the ornate kimono he had sent her for the occasion.

Despite her humanity, she did not stumble over any demonic social graces. She walked the expected number of steps behind him, and carried herself with the grace and confidence of any high born noble.

She had been reserved, and cool. When faced with the scowls and glares from other demons within his castle she neither shrank from them nor allowed even the slightest waver in her measured steps.

As she grew so did his curiosity, he wanted to see more of the composed Hime she proved she could be. So, he invited her for more brief stays at the castle, and each time she demonstrated her ability to hold her own with ease. And, as the years passed, her nature wore down even the most conservative demons in the castle. But the case hadn't been the same for foreign demons whose visits overlapped with hers.

He could still picture the incident a year ago during her last visit to his castle. On the night he first acknowledged that she was more than just his ward.

A boisterous demon lord from then North had been visiting to ask military aide to quell uprising in his lands. However, upon sighting a human at the table -seated at the right hand of Lord Sesshomaru no less- he couldn't stop himself from speaking out on her presence. He loudly and publicly ridiculed her, insulting the woman based on no more knowledge than her humanity.

Sesshomaru had barely the chance to open his mouth before Rin had placed a placating hand on his arm and turned cool eyes to the offensive demon.

She waited until he had finished and came to her own defense. She offered a swift retort on the shame that such ill thought remarks brought, especially when one was visiting another land in the hopes of seeking aide to abate his own failures as a lord.

Sesshomaru did little more than arch a brow and hid his smirk behind his sake.

Later that same night, he invited her for a walk through the gardens, a brief respite for the both of them from the stale air of aristocracy. As they reached a point that was safely beyond the watchful eye of the castle inhabitants, he witnessed something breathtaking.

She cast a cautious glance over her shoulder and, satisfied that they were alone, carefully untied her obi and slipped out of the many layers of her elaborate kimono, revealing to him the pale pink nagajuban beneath.

Her fingers made quick work of undoing the delicate twists her handmaids had pulled her hair into. Once released, the strands flowed to her waist in a thick brown curtain. Finished with the task, she turned to him, her mask of measured calm dropped to reveal the usual sparkling brown eyes and jaw splitting smile. She kicked off her zori and tabi, sent him a wink and ran, barefoot and free, into the field of flowers around them.

It was in that moment, during that visit almost a year ago, that he knew that he wanted –needed- her with him again.

Which brought him to his current predicament.

He desired her.

He wanted this woman's company every day, he desired her touch, craved her scent, and spent a worrisome amount of time fantasizing about her taste. He didn't care that she was a human, she had always been more than that to him.

He was no fool; he knew that she cared for him as more than just a guardian. After all, subtlety had never been one of her strong suits. He'd noticed every blush, lingering touch, scent spike and quickened heartbeat. He knew she would not deny him were he to take her as his mate and he had already decided that he would readily accept whatever fallout there may be to have her by his side.

But, what was this the right thing for her?

He looked at her as she continued down the path ahead of him, a vision of innocence as she swung her basket to and fro. Could he, in good conscience, be the one to destroy that innocence he spent so long protecting? Could he put her back in the way of the dangers that followed him?

Ahead of him, she paused and waved a cheery hello to a passing villager. The man nodded with a smile, which immediately fell upon sighting the glowering demon behind her. With a sound somewhere between a sputter and a shriek he turned tail and ran from them.

Rin laughed, a far more refined sound than the raucous peals she would let loose in her youth, and he pushed his troubled thoughts aside. "Oh, milord!" She turned to him, her brown eyes alight in the setting glow of the sun, her jawbreaker smile already in place. "Our village will be empty soon if you continue scaring off the residents."

Sesshomaru arched a silver brow, "That man was a cowardly fool. I threatened him in no way."

Rin sighed and placed her basket on the ground, then closed the distance between them in three steps. She brought a hand to her chin and scanned his features. Her brow creased and her teeth pulled at her bottom lip, a low "hmmm" escaped her.

"Perhaps…" she began, her teeth releasing the skin of her bottom lip. He couldn't help but notice how the pink flesh glistened with traces of saliva.

She raised herself up on her tiptoes -her eyes only just becoming level with his lips- and brought her hands to rest on his cheeks.

Sesshomaru stilled, his eyes locked on her face as she stared at his lips, her brow still creased gently in a frown.

Her thumbs traced down to the corners of his lips, and she smiled softly. "Perhaps if you were to smile more, you wouldn't send them all running for the mainland." At her words her thumbs pressed up and lifted the corners of his mouth.

The effect was ridiculous, the center of his mouth remained a flat line while the corners she held up only succeeded in displaying his two deadly sharp incisors.

She giggled.

"No, this definitely won't do at all." Her fingers released the sides of his mouth and her eyes watched as his lips returned to their customary hard line.

"You know," her eyes met his. It was at that moment that she became entirely aware that this was the closest she'd ever been to him, "you're probably the only person who a smile doesn't suit." Her fingers, which had remained on his cheeks, slowly began to stroke the tender flesh.

Her gaze dropped from his to her wandering hands. She marveled at softness of his skin, entranced by the feel of it under her fingers.

It was strange. She had always imagined that his face would be firm, like something chiseled from marble. After all, everything about him had always appeared so hard and rigid, set in stone, immovable.

But, the more she thought on it, the more she realized how incorrect that was. She had long since learned that he could be more than that.

The demon Lord _was_ ruthless, he _was_ inflexible, he _was_ unwavering, but for her, and _only_ her, he was also kind. He was gentle, he was -in his own way- caring.

Somehow it made sense that the softness the he hid so well within himself, be exposed so clearly in the texture of his flesh.

Her eyes wandered the smooth planes of his face, tracing over the path blazed by her fingers, staring in rapt wonderment as she mapped the bit of uncharted territory. Her fingers ran over the hard lines of his cheekbones, splayed over his magenta stripes, crossed the path to his ears then climbed to top of their pointed tips before sliding down the flesh of the lobe. Their journey continued, traversing the rigid, set line of his jaw to his chin, then navigated back up to the soft flesh of his lips.

He remained still as her fingers surveyed his features.

Her hands had moved of their own accord bent on satiating a curiosity she hadn't even known she possessed, but now that the journey was done, she was unsure of what to do.

Her eyes rose to his, unashamed of her exploration, but fearful of his reaction. She expected his gaze to be cold, his emotions locked away behind the customary sheet of ice. What she met instead surprised her.

His eyes were closed.

She took this act of trust as permission, and her fingers began to move anew. When they slid along the plump skin of his mouth, his lips parted slightly, releasing a puff of breath that sounded _almost_ like a sigh.

She felt herself lean forward, her body pressed against his as the last inch that separated them disappeared.

Her hands continued up and over the line of his pointed nose. Then finally, her fingers brushed across his closed lids, taking care to caress the magenta lines there as well.

Now, finished with their task, her hands came back to rest on either side of his face.

He opened his eyes and met with hers, the brown seemingly aflame as they reflected the last of the sun's light.

When she spoke again, her words were much softer. "No," her tongue quickly slipped out to wet her dry lips, his eyes followed its path hungrily, "I believe this face is just perfect without a smile."

Her hands slipped down from his cheeks, stroked the exposed skin of his throat before interlocking behind his neck.

Normally, Sesshomaru found his arms to be mostly useless during her embraces, but this time, as Rin's body pressed into his and her hands played with the fine hairs at the base of his neck, he knew instinctively what to do with them.

With a tenderness reserved only for her, his hands moved up her clothed thighs. Her lips formed a small "o" as he pulled her body more firmly against him.

A red blush dusted her cheeks, but her eyes remained locked with his.

Content with her new position, his hands continued up. He paused for a moment at the swell of her hips, each hand gently squeezed the tender flesh there, before moving on to her waist, where they looped around her, ensuring that she remained against him.

A chilled breeze ruffled her hair and drew her attention to the fact that the sun had finally set and night had descended; her picnic basket lay long forgotten a few feet from them.

"My Lord," she was certain that no amount of effort would be able to raise her voice from the breathy whisper that had overtaken it, "It is quite late, we-we should…"

Her statement hung between them, unfinished, as Sesshomaru's head inclined towards hers. Her breath caught in her throat, her cheeks burned, and her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he heard it. He was a hairs breadth from her now, his eyes locked onto the pink flesh of her lips. She tilted her head and her eyelids drooped…

"Rin! There you are!"

She jumped, the move caused here to lose her already precarious footing -tip toed in the wooden sandals- and if it weren't for the arms that remained locked around her middle, she would've surely kissed the dirt.

A low rumble reverberated through her and she realized it was originating from the demon who still held her close in a now vice grip. She looked to his face, only to find his narrowed eyes locked on a bouncing dot down the path.

His eyes flashed from gold to red, and while his hands dropped from her waist, he made no effort to move his body from hers.

"Rin!" The bouncing dot called again, she turned and squinted, her back brushed against Sesshomaru's chest.

"Who is- Oh…no." She groaned loudly and she leaned back heavily on Sesshomaru. "Not him…"

Sesshomaru, who had sighted the human long before her took his time in observing the gangly little creature who dared interrupt them.

He was tall, for a human, but still a head shorter than the demon lord. His hair was an awful mousy brown, held back from his face in one of those restraints the humans of this age loved so much. His clothes seemed decent enough, but nothing nearly as impressive as the silks he sent Rin.

As for his face -Sesshomaru had never made it a habit to inspect the features of a male- the boy had eyes, a nose, mouth and ears, and they all appeared to be in the right place and more or less symmetrical.

All in all, Sesshomaru decided that the human was plain, boring, unimpressive, and -judging by the happy smile on his face as he bounded up to a growling Diayoukai- clearly an idiot.

"Rin!" He bounced the last few feet to them and stopped with a bright smile. "I've been looking all over for you!" He began to babble. "Kaede told me you were out, so I thought you would require an escort. It is rather late for you to be wandering so far away from the village, you should have let me know if you needed something, I would be more than happy to accompany you back."

Sesshomaru had never been one to suffer fools for any length of time, and now, as he stood on this path leading out of a human village with the weight of a human woman pressed against him, he was forced to suffer one of the largest fools he'd ever met. This conclusion came even after acknowledging that Jaken had been his constant company for over a hundred years.

Had he not been so infuriated by the human's intrusion, he may have found his absolute obliviousness to his surroundings humorous…for a moment…before he sliced him in half where he stood.

But he knew the idea of ripping out this pest's entrails would be severely frowned upon by Rin.

Kami, he hadn't even kissed her yet and already he was as leashed as Inuyasha.

"Taro," Rin's nervous laugh pulled him from his train of thought, she fidgeted with the hem of her kimono. Sesshomaru noted, with a frown, that flecks of dirt still clung to the fabric. "Taro, I am not wandering, nor am I lacking in company right now."

The man – Taro- cocked his head to the side, then, with the sort of comical appraisal a mouse would give a giant, he took in the form of the silver haired, golden eyed man standing less than an inch behind Rin.

Sesshomaru fought valiantly against the urge to roll his eyes, he'd decided that it was nothing shy of a miracle that this man had survived to adulthood.

"But Rin," Taro's eyes quickly dropped back to hers, widened to the size of rice balls, his voice a conspiratorial hiss, "that's a demon!"

Rin's fight against rolling her eyes was less successful. She released a sigh and took a step away from Sesshomaru's chest. His growl increased. "Yes Taro, this is Lord Sesshomaru."

The man looked from Rin to the demon, his eyes slowly lighting with understanding. He frowned for a moment, before he stepped back and locked eyes with Sesshomaru. The demon arched a brow.

"Lord Sesshomaru," the man began, "it is a pleasure to meet the one who raised a woman as fine as Rin."

The human bowed low to the demon Lord, oblivious to the deepening of the demon's glare. When he righted himself, the fool continued.

"I would like to ask you to allow me Rin's hand in marriage."

Rin sputtered.

Sesshomaru remained silent, his mind working to quickly calculate if the pleasure of murdering the mortal would outweigh Rin's anger at him for murdering the mortal. It was a tough call….

"Taro," Rin's voice drew him from his thoughts, "I don't think-"

"No." Sesshomaru interrupted, his tone even more glacial than usual.

Taro however, was undeterred. In fact, he seemed prepared to argue his worth. "Lord Sesshomaru," the demon growled, "I am the only son of this village's headman, when he passes, I will take over in his stead. Rin will be given the status, safety, and comfort that comes with that. In this village, she will want for nothing. As her guardian, I'm sure you can admit that this is what is best for Rin."

Sesshomaru glared, the fool had inadvertently raised a valid point. The same valid point that Sesshomaru was so readily about to disregard just moments earlier. He decided right then, that perhaps the hatred he had for this human could top the loathing he felt for Inuyasha.

Taro beamed a prideful smile to Sesshomaru, apparently taking the silence as approval. The demon, on the other hand, had finally decided that he would murder the man, regardless of Rin's anger on the matter. In time, he was sure, she would get over it…

"Human-"

"Ah! Young Lord Taro!" A new, painfully familiar and agonizingly chirpy voice interrupted. Sesshomaru looked heavenward, would this night's trials never end?

From behind him came the shuffle of small feet on the dirt path, he didn't need to turn to know who the added irritant was.

Rin, however, did turn to peek behind him. "Kagome?" Her brow creased at the woman in red and white. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

The _pat pat_ of feet came closer, "Oh nonsense! I'm pregnant, not missing a leg." As she passed Sesshomaru she paused and placed a hand on his arm. "How are you Onii-chan?" She ignored the pointed glare, "your nephew misses you, maybe next time you come to the village you'll stop by and say hello?"

Despite the bright smile and happy tone, her words had the distinct air of a threat instead of a question.

Sesshomaru arched a brow.

He _really_ did not like this woman.

With a happy nod, Kagome released his arm and stepped closer to Taro, one hand placed on her _very_ large belly. "Lord Taro!" The man, who had been all but forgotten at Kagome's entrance, jumped at hearing his name.

"Yes, priestess?"

"I hate to bother you, but there's a problem with the roof of my home," she reached out and grabbed his wrist, "I can't seem to find Inuyasha anywhere, so I need you to take a look. You don't mind at all do you?" She was already tugging the man past the couple before he could even stutter out a reply. Sesshomaru was reminded of Rin and her penchant for manhandling him. _Of course_ this woman would be the source of such behavior.

"But-but surely one of the other men in the village can-"

Kagome interrupted with a tisk, "but you are the headman's son! Who else could I trust with such a request?"

Whatever response Taro had was drowned out as Kagome continued to prattle on about his invaluable contributions to the village, all the while forcefully pulling him away. Right before they rounded the bend out of sight, she stopped and tossed the Sesshomaru and Rin a quick wave and a very obvious wink.

"Ja ne Nii-chan! Take good care of Rin."

Then she was gone, and Taro along with her.

Sesshomaru had to admit, for a woman who looked like she was carrying a small horse within her, she was very fast.

"Well," Rin said, she was still staring down the path Kagome had just taken, "this has been quite the night…" she laughed to herself before returning her gaze to Sesshomaru.

"Do you wish to stay with that human?" Sesshomaru's toneless words caught her off guard. She frowned, all humor drained from her face.

"No, my lord." Her eyes sought his out, her frown only deepened when she could see no emotion in their depths. "I believe I have made my wishes quite clear."

He arched a silver brow. "And what wishes are those, Rin?"

"To-to be with you, of course." Her tone was curious, sounding more question than statement.

Sesshomaru looked at her for a moment longer, his face impassive, before he stepped around her and continued along the path out of the village.

"Wait!" She spun around. "Where are you going?"

He stopped, but didn't turn. "I have spent too long in this human village."

"So…you intend to leave me?" Her eyes dropped from his back to the basket she left on the path.

"Rin," he sighed. "I cannot offer you the same life that man can."

Her eyes snapped up. "I don't want that life!" Her fists clenched and anger swelled within her. "Why even ask me what I wish if you just plan to leave again?" She stepped toward him. "Why torture me with these visits? Why bring me to your castle? Why give me these glimpses of a life with you when you have no desire for us to actually share that life?"

As quickly as it came, the anger fled, leaving her acutely aware of the wet tracks on her cheeks. When she spoke again she was quiet, defeated. "You know that I love you, so why do you play these games with me…it is beyond cruel, my Lord."

Before she could draw her next breath, he was in front of her, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into the fabric of his chest.

"Forgive me."

The words were out on a ragged breath, so low she almost thought she imagined it. But when he said it again, she knew it wasn't a trick of her mind. "Forgive me, Rin."

She looked up with wide eyes, but his arms kept her against him too tightly to see anything but the hard line of his clenched jaw.

"I do not intend to hurt you, little one. I want nothing more than your safety. But I do not know if I can give you that." His hold loosened and she leaned back enough for their eyes to meet. "For months, I have struggled with the desire I have for you." His voice, normally as smooth as the touch of silk, was rough with restrained emotion. "The need to take you as my own is greater than you will ever know. But, to do so would not be fair to you, little one."

He let down his guard and allowed his eyes to show her the staggering tumult of emotions within him. She took in his apprehension, his worry, concern and above all the possessive need he harbored. She frowned.

"You are a fool, Lord Sesshomaru," with that she pushed herself up and captured his lips.

His response was instant. His mouth pressed into hers, firm and soft at the same time. His lips moved across hers with practiced ease, his teeth nipping the virgin flesh and drawing a heady sigh from the woman he held. He wasted no time in tasting her, his tongue drove into the moist cavern of her mouth, tasting the sweetness he had long fantasized about with an almost feverish intent. He would not be gentle.

One hand traveled up her body, pressing her firmly against him before it buried itself in her hair. He tugged and adjusted her head to better accommodate his domination of her lips.

She was lost, cast adrift in the feeling of him. She was sure the only thing holding her up was the arm he slung around her waist. She had lost her sense of self, lost her sense of the earth beneath her feet. All that existed was the feel of him against her, and the taste of his mouth on hers. She was too far gone to be aware that her hands had tangled themselves into his hair, aggressively tugging him closer, nor did she hear the wanton moans that escaped her with every devilish thrust of his tongue into her mouth.

Too soon, he pulled away, nipping gently at her swollen lips as he did so.

"Rin," her name was a growl through clenched teeth as his forehead came to rest upon hers. The warm puffs of her breath fanned out across his face as his eyes vacillated between gold and red.

When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "My future is no longer yours to decide, my Lord. You may not be able to give me what Taro can, but can't I be the judge of what want?" Her hand reached up to cup his cheek. "I am no longer a child in need of your care, I am a woman, in need of your love… please, milord, do not deny me that."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and sighed, the breath of it tickling her cheek. When he looked at her again, his gaze was resigned. His decision made.

"You know I can deny you nothing, my Rin."

This time their kiss was gentle, a promise between them, sealed with the salt of her tears.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think!** ' **Til next time!**


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